Anti-spill liquid container



April 28,1959 O LAMPKIN 2,884,157

ANTI-SPILL LIQUID CONTAINER Filed Sept. 6, 1955 HTTRN United States Patent 2,884,157 ANTI-SPILL LIQUID CONTAINER Omar F. Lampkin, Kansas City, Mo. Application September 6, 1955, Serial No. 532,430 1 Claim. (Cl. 22B- 41) This invention relates to a closure for containers, partieularly tumblers or glasses normally employed for drinking purposes, and has for its primary object to avoid accidental spilling of the contents of the tumbler especially when used by children.

It is the most important object of the present invention to provide a sectional closure adapted for releasable attachment to a tumbler at the uppermost open top thereof and having manually manipulable structure for shifting one of the sections of the closure to an open position, together with yieldable means for maintaining such section normally in a closed position.

Another important object of the present invention is to provide a device of the aforementioned character that may be used interchangeably with especially shaped containers after the latter have been used initially for the merchandising of food products or the like, thereby adapting theclosure structure as a premium item and therefore, as an inducement for the purchase of the products.

A further object of this invention is to provide an antispill closure that is inexpensive, easily operated and readily placed on the container and removed for cleaning purposes as desired.

In the drawing:

Figure 1 is a top plan view of an anti-spill liquid container rnade pursuant to the present invention, parts being broken away and in section forclearness.

Fig. 2 is a vertical, substantially central cross-sectional view taken on line II--II of Fig. l.

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary, vertical, cross-sectional view taken on line III-III of Fig. 2; and

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary, vertical, cross-sectional view taken on line IV-IV of Fig. 2.

In accordance with the principles of the instant invention, container is especiallyformed particularly at the uppermost extremities thereof in that the same is partially arcuate and partially polygonal in transverse crosssection. Therefore, the uppermost edge v12 which may be beaded if desired as shown, has a semi-circular portion 14 and a U-shaped portion 16 presenting a bight 18 and a pair of legs 20 and 22.

The anti-spill closure 24 forming the subject matter of the instant invention and adapted for releasable attachment to the container 10, includes a pair of sections 26 and 28, the former of which is in the nature of a semicircular plate conforming in configuration to the semicircular portion 14 of the tumbler 10.

Plate 26 has an upstanding ange 30 along the straight edge thereof that is disposed within the section 28 which is in the nature of a housing. Housing 28 includes a polygonal bottom wall 32 conforming in shape to the polygonal portion 16 of the container 10 and slidably receiving the plate 26 upon its 'uppermost surface when the plate 26 is retracted into the housing 28.

Housing 28 is of double-wall construction, presenting therefore, inner walls 34, 36 and 38 and corresponding outer walls 34', 36' and 38. A cover 40 integral with walls 34', 36' and 38' is releasably attached to the walls 34, 36 and 38.

The two side walls 34 and 38 terminate at the lowermost edges thereof above the upper face of bottom wall 32, presenting guide slots 42 for the reciproeable plate26.

The housing 28 contains a pair of springs 44 coiled about pins 46 and interposed between wall 36 and flange 2,884,157 Patented Apr. 28, 1959 30. Pins 46 are secured to the wall 36 and extend through the flange 30 for free sliding movement ofthe latter to the pins 46. ne

A pair of opposed, spring-loaded 'plungers 48 carried by the walls 34' and 38' releasably engage the container 10 immediately below the bead 12 thereof.

Manually manipulable structure for shifting the plate 26 to an open position against the action of springs 44, includes a linger-engaging projection 50 reciprocable vertically along a track 52 exteriorly of the side of container 10 and depending from the Wall 36' with which it is integrally joined. A exible strap 54 connects the finger extension 50 with the flange 30, there being a clearance slot 56 in the wall 36 for the strap 54.

It is seen that the plate 26 may be moved to an open position while the container 10 is grasped in one hand by depressing the extension 50, thereby exerting a pull on the ange 30 through strap 54. As soon as the extension 50 is released, the springs 44 will automatically return the plate 26 to the closed position shown in the drawing. The entire closure 24 may be removed by pulling the plungers 48 outwardly and it is, therefore, seen that a single anti-spill closure 24 may be used on any one of a number of containers 10 in the nature of that illustrated in the drawing.

As above indicated, it is contemplated -that the container 10 will be used initially for packaging of various types of merchandise. After the contents have been used, the anti-spill device 24 may be employed by virtue of the fact that it is quickly and easily attached thereto in the manner illustrated.

Having thus described the invention what is claimed as new and desired to be secured by Letters Patent is:

In combination with a container having an uppermost beaded edge provided with a semi-circular portion and a U-shaped portion dening a bight and a pair of legs, an anti-spill closure including -a housing having three sides of double wall construction embracing the container at said U-shaped portion thereof, a rectangular bottom wall within the container and a rectangular cover resting on the U-shaped portion of said edge; a shiftable, semi-circular plate within the container and normally engaging the inner face of the latter adjacent the semi-circular portion of said edge, said plate having an upstanding flange forming a fourth side of said housing and movable into the latter as the plate is shifted to an open position sliding along the upper face of said bottom wall; spaced horizontal guide pins carried by the housing therewithin and projecting through the ange; springs coiled about the pins and yieldably biasing the plate closed; plate opening means including a vertically reciprocable member exteriorly of lthe container, track means depending from the housing at said bight and slidably receiving the member, and flexible strap interconnecting the ilange and the member and extending into the housing between the cover and said bight; and opposed spring loaded plungers carried by the housing and engaging beneath the beaded edge adjacent each leg respectively for detachably mounting the closure on the container.

References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 562,577 Closen June 23, 1896 1,102,275 Kime July 7, 1914 1,541,172 Nuckols June 9, 1925 1,756,249 Kaufman Apr. 29, 1930 2,030,990 Holtzman Feb. 18, 1936 2,254,608 Heyer Sept. 2, 1941 2,258,002 Dekay Oct. 7, 1941 2,274,844 Moss Mar. 3, 1942 2,578,201 Nicorvo Dec. l1, 1951 

